The Edo State Police Command has arrested three suspects that specialize in cobbling up items used for making Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs).
Idris Ibrahim, Zainab Ibrahim and Oyeza Abdul are all from Kogi, and were arrested at Okugbe, near Iddo village in Okpella, Estako East Local Government Area.
Oyesa’s husband, Idris Hassan Abdulmalik, who is the lynchpin, is now on the fly.
The three were paraded at the Edo State Police Command Headquarters where Commissioner of Police Babatunde Kokumo told journalists that the Police Anti-bomb Squad was called in to detonate some of the explosives, while others were taken away.
According to him, Abdulmalik escaped through a footpath in a bush after he was prevented by vigilant youths from fleeing in his Toyota Corolla with registration number ABC 371 HK.
Items recovered include one Rocket-Propelled Grenade (RPG), one Beretta pistol (marked 53101466) with seven rounds of 9mm live ammunition, two riot gunners, four smoke pistols, 23 empty fire extinguisher cylinders, 18 plastic bottles of IEDs,21 expended smoke cartridges and 17 pieces of pipes.
Others are two timer clocks, four remote control panels, four remote control switches, eight nine-voltage batteries, eight live teargas cartridges and two smoke grenades, two fire extinguisher-borne IEDs, two electric junction boxes, two gallons of gunpowder, one roll of cotton wool, five empty cans of insecticide, one pair of scissors, 20 small cans of assorted chemicals, three hydrometers used for measuring IED potency, eight pipettes tubes, two 50millimetre bottles of highly inflammable chemicals, three small bottles of highly inflammable chemicals, half bag of potassium nitrate, 65 litres of potassium nitrate, 200 grams of carbide and 30 pieces of syringes and needles.
Kokumo added that the Police have identified the Police formation from where the suspects snatched the riot gunners and smoke pistols found in their possession.
No official statement on whom the factory supplies IEDs–whether Boko Haram or other ragtag violent groups around the country or elsewhere.